Bookend



y 3, 1968 J. L. NADLER ET AL 3,385,450

BOOKEND Filed March 31, 1966 5/ INVENTORS JOSEPH L. NADL ER '33 3 35 /3 PAUL H. HARRISON av THE/R ATTORNEYS hAee/s, K/Ecw, RUSSELL 8: KEEN United States Patent 3,385,450 BOOKEND Joseph L. Nadler, Goleta, and Paul H. Harrison, Los

Augeles, Calif., assignors to The Polyplan Corporation, Goleta, Calif., a corporation of California Filed Mar. 31, 1966, Ser. No. 539,197 5 Claims. (Cl. 211-42) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A one-piece integral bookend of molded, self-hinging plastic material, including a base member and a bookretaining member, pivotable between a collapsed position and an operative self-latching upright position.

This invention relates to a bookend and more particularly to a novel collapsible bookend.

Conventional bookends are rigid metal or wood structures which include a base member for underlying a book and a book-retaining member for supporting the lateral surface of the book. The base member and the bookretaining member are rigidly interconnected. This is undesirable because of the relatively large amount of space required for shipping and storage of such bookends. Also, the metal and wood of which the conventional bookend is constructed are relatively expensive, and the cost of fabricating these materials is relatively high. The effectiveness of the typical prior art bookend is reduced because no special means are provided for restraining the books from sliding relative to the bookend.

We have invented a novel bookend which is molded from a self-hinging plastic material and is cheaply and easily manufactured. The bookend includes a base member and a book-retaining member and is pivotable due to the self-hinging material between a completely collapsed, compact position to an operative position where the book-retaining member is upright. A latching means formed integrally with the structure automatically releasably retains the bookend in its operative position. Surface irregularities provided on the base member prevent slipping or sliding of books retained by the bookend relative thereto.

Accordingly, a primary object of this invention is to provide a one-piece completely collapsible bookend of molded plastic material. Such a bookend can be transported and stored in the collapsed position and quickly erected to support a column of books. The one-piece molded plastic bookend is simple and inexpensive to fabricate and the plastic raw material is relatively inexpensive.

Another object of this invention is to automatically releasably secure the bookend in the erect or operative position in response to movement of the bookend to the operative position. Thus, the bookend can be quickly erected for use and automatically retained in the erected position.

A further object of this invention is to provide surface irregularities such as serrations along the base member of a bookend to firmly retain the book from sliding relative thereto.

A further object of this invention is to construct a bookend of a self-hinging plastic material such as polypropylene. This feature allows the entire bookend including the hinge means which permits movement of the bookend between the collapsed and operative positions to be of one-piece molded plastic construction.

A further object of this invention is to provide a bookend which is completely collapsible in that no member thereof overlies another member of the bookend in 3,385,450 Patented May 28, 1968 the collapsed position. Thus, the bookend in the collapsed position assumes the flattest possible position.

The bookend of this invention includes a base member and a book-retaining member integral therewith intermediate the ends of the base member. The base member has a tongue portion and a stabilizing portion extending outwardly in opposite directions from the juncture of the members. The tongue portion is thin and adapted to underlie the book. Hinge means provides for relative pivotal movement between the base and bookretaining members between a collapsed position in which the members lie in substantially the same plane and an operative position in which the book-retaining member is generally upright to retain the lateral surface of the book and the base member is spaced angularly from the book-retaining member and underlies the book.

Latching means are provided for releasably locking the bookretaining member in the operative position. In the preferred embodiment, the latching means is responsive to the members being pivoted to the operative position for automatically locking the book-retaining member in the operative position. The latching means includes a latching nib on the book-retaining member which is receivable in a latching recess in the stabilizing portion when the bookend is in the operative position.

To prevent the books retained by the bookend from sliding relative thereto, the tongue portion is provided with surface irregularities on the upper face thereof. These surface irregularities engage the under side of the book and serve as stop members for preventing longitudinal movement of the book relative to the bookend. This feature of the invention allows a single book to be securely supported by a single bookend. In the preferred embodiment, the surface irregularities include a plurality of rows of serrations on the tongue portion arranged to permit the book to be slid transversely therefrom in the conventional manner but to prevent sliding movement of the book relative to the bookend in the longitudinal direction.

The bookend is preferably constructed of a self-hinging plastic material such as polypropylene and is arranged to be completely collapsible. In the preferred form of the invention, the book-retaining member is substantially U- shaped and substantially embraces the periphery of the tongue portion when the bookend is in the collapsed position.

The invention, both as to its organization and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of the bookend in the collapsed position;

FIG. 2 is an isometric view of the bookend in the operative or erect position;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 1 and illustrating the hinge and the latching means in the collapsed position;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken along line 44 of FIG. 2 showing the hinge and the latching means in the operative position;

FIG. 5 is an end elevational view of the bookend in the operative position, the bookend being illustrated on a reduced scale; and

FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of the bookend in the operative position illustrating one way that the bookend may be used to support a single book.

Referring to the drawing, and in particular to FIGS. 1 and 2 thereof, reference numeral 11 designates a bookend constructed in accordance with the teachings of this invention. The bookend 11 is a one-piece integral structure and preferably molded as a unitary structure from plastic material. It is preferred to utilize a self-hinging type of plastic such as polypropylene.

The bookend 11 includes a base member 13 and a bookretaining member 15 integral therewith. The base member 13 has a stabilizing portion 17 and a tongue portion 19. The stabilizing portion 17 has an upper wall 21, which slopes downwardly as it extends away from the bookretaining member 15 and a peripheral flange 23 integral with the upper wall and depending therefrom. The peripheral flange 23 preferably completely surrounds the upper Wall 21 and has an inclined inner wall or edge (FIG. 3). The peripheral flange 23 serves to strengthen the stabilizing portion 17 particularly against bending forces.

The tongue portion 19 is a thin rectangular piece of plastic material which is integral with the lower edge of the inner wall 25. The tongue portion 19 is preferably of less width than the stabilizing portion 17 to provide two equal spaces along the inner wall 25 along which the book-retaining member 15 may be secured.

The primary function of the tongue portion 19 is to underlie a book or books in the column of books which is being supported by the bookend 11. To prevent longitudinal sliding movement of such book or books relative to the bookend 11, the tongue portion 19 is provided with two spaced parallel rows of surface irregularities or serrations 27 and 29 on the upper surface thereof. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the rows of serrations 27 and 29 preferably extend longitudinally closely adjacent the longitudinal edges of the tongue portion 19.

As best seen in FIG. 6, each of the serrations is formed by an inclined surface 31 and a vertical surface 33 which together define crests 35 and valleys 37. The crests 35 and valleys 37 extend transversely along the tongue portion 19 so that a book may easily be slid transversely onto or off the tongue portion 19. The vertical surfaces 33, however, provide abutments which prevent the books from sliding longitudinally along the tongue portion 19.

The book-retaining member 15 is generally U-shaped and has a pair of legs 39 and 41 which are interconnected by a web 43. To provide additional strength, inner and outer flanges and 47 extend around the U-shaped bookretaining member 15 to cause each of the legs 39 and 41 and the web 43 to be generally channel-shaped in cross section. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the flanges 45 and 47 taper as they extend outwardly along the book-retaining member 15. The web 43 arches downwardly slightly as it extends between the legs 39 and 41 as shown in FIG. 5.

Each of the legs 39 and 41 has an inner wall or edge 49 which is secured to the inner wall 25 by a thin web or hinge 51 (FIGS. 3 and 4). As shown in FIG. 3, the inner walls 25 and 49 and the hinges 51 form two generally V-shaped sections or troughs when the bookend 11 is in the collapsed position. The hinge 51 may be made thinner than the walls 25 and 49 by an undercut 53.

By utilizing a self-hinging type plastic such as polypropylene, the thin webs 51 serve as integral hinges which permit pivotal movement of the book-retaining member 15 relative to the base member 13 between a collapsed position in which the members lie in substantially the same plane (FIG. 1) and an operative position (FIGS. 2 and 6) in which the book-retaining member is generally upright to retain a lateral surface 55 of a book 57. In the operative position, the tongue portion 19 is spaced angularly from the book-retaining member 15 and underlies the book 57. In the collapsed position, the legs 39 and 41 and the web 43 lie along that portion of the periphery of the tongue portion 19 which is not attached to the stabilizing portion 17. In the operative position, the inner walls 25 and 49 are in substantial engagement (FIG. 4) and the V-shaped section formed thereby and shown in FIG. 3 is collapsed.

Latching means are provided for releasably locking the book-retaining member 15 in the operative position. The latching means disclosed herein are responsive to the base member 13 and the book-retaining member 15 being pivoted to the operative position for automatically locking the book-retaining member in the operative position. Such means include a pair of spaced latching recesses 58 in the inner wall 25 and a pair of latching nibs 59 formed integrally with the inner walls 49. Preferably, each of the inner walls 49 carries one of the latching nibs 59 integrally therewith. The latching nibs 59 are aligned with the latching recesses 58 so that each nib enters its respective recess when the book-retaining member 15 is pivoted to the operative position. As shown in FIG. 4, each of the nibs 59 will have to be forced past a corner 61 of the upper wall 21 of the stabilizing portion 17. Once the nib 59 is forced past the corner 61, the lower surface of the upper Wall 21 retains it within the latching recess 58. Thus, the book-retaining member 15 is automatically retained in the operative position in response to movement of the book-retaining member to the operative position. Of course, the bookend 11 can be moved to the collapsed position by applying the appropriately directed rotational force on the book-retaining member 15.

Another feature of this invention is the compactness of the bookend 11 in the collapsed position. This is achieved in part by the U-shaped retaining member 15 which partially surrounds the tongue portion 19. Thus, no portion of the bookend 11 overlies another portion thereof in the collapsed position, and, accordingly, the maximum degree of compactness is achieved.

When the bookend 11 is in the operative position, the tongue 19 may be placed beneath a portion of a column of books to retain the latter against movement longitudinally of the bookend. The rows 27 and 29 of serrations positively preclude longitudinal sliding movement of the books relative to the bookend 11. Because the crests 35 and the valleys 37 extend transversely, a single book may be withdrawn from the column of books across the serrations without undue interference. Furthermore, a single bookend may be utilized to support a single book. As shown in FIG. 6, this can be accomplished by placing a lower edge 63 of the book 57 against one of the vertical surfaces or abutments 33 and inclining the book toward the book-retaining member 15 so that the lateral surface 55 rests on the uppermost edge of the book-retaining member.

Although an exemplary embodiment of the invention has been described, many changes, modifications, and substitutions may be made by one having ordinary skill in the art without necessarily departing from the spirit and scope of this invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a one-piece integral self-hinging plastic bookend for supporting :a book, the combination of:

a base member;

a book-retaining member integral with said base member, said book-retaining member being secured to said base member, said base member having a tongue portion and a stabilizing portion extending outwardly in opposite directions from the juncture of said members, said tongue portion being thin 'and adapted to underlie the book;

hinge means including a relatively thin web of said self-hinging plastic material interconnecting said base member and said book-retaining member and providing for relative pivotal movement of said members between a collapsed position in which said members lie in substantially the same plane and an operative position in which said book-retaining member is generally upright to retain the lateral surface of the book and said tongue portion is spaced angularly from said book-retaining member for underlying the book; and

latching means formed integrally with said bookend and responsive to the pivotal movement of said members to said operative position for automatically releasably locking said book-retaining member in said operative position.

2. A combination as defined in claim 1 wherein said tongue portion has a plurality of surface irregularities adapted to engage the under side of the book to firmly retain said book from sliding along said tongue portion.

3. A combination as defined in claim 1 wherein said book-retaining member and said base member have adjacent surfaces at least partially forming a generally V-shaped trough adjacent said juncture when said book end is in said collapsed position, said book-retaining member being pivotable relative to said base member about an axis lying generally along the apex of said V-shaped trough to said operative position, said surfaces being substantially in engagement in :said operative position, :and said latching means includes a latching recess in one of said surfaces and a cooperating latching nib in the other of said surfaces.

4. A combination as defined in claim 1 wherein said book-retaining member is pivotally connected to said stabilizing portion of said base member, one of said tongue portion and said book-retaining member having a pair of legs lying substantially along at least a portion of the periphery of the other of said tongue portion and said book-retaining member when said book end is in said collapsed position.

5. A combination as defined in claim 1 wherein said stabilizing portion has an inner wall, said tongue portion being integral with said stabilizing portion along said inner wall, said book-retaining member being generally U-shaped and opening toward said inner wall, said latching means securing said book-retaining member to said stabilizing portion along said inner wall thereof, said U-shaped book-retaining member lying along and outside the periphery of said tongue portion when said bookend is in said collapsed position.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 186,974 2/1877 Barnard.

470,050 3/1892 Jewell. 1,598,467 8/ 1926 Weeks. 1,714,629 5/ 1929 Rodin. 1,750,576 3/1930 Cubberley 211-43 XR 1,875,288 8/1932 *Welk. 2,616,567 11/1952 McCulloch. 3,087,498 4/ 1963 Vogel. 3,235,092 2/1966 Schwarz 211-43 ROY A. FRAZIER, Primary Examiner.

A. FRANKEL, Assistant Examiner. 

